


Ronald McDonald's A.I. Adventure

by Platt



Series: Ronald McDonald's A.I. Adventure [1]
Category: Actor RPF, McDonaldland, Music RPF, Sesame Street (TV), Vocaloid
Genre: Action/Adventure, Artificial Intelligence, Crack Crossover, Crack Relationships, F/M, Magical Artifacts, Multiple Crossovers, Randomness, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24843889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Platt/pseuds/Platt
Summary: This story is created with A.I. Dungeon. Mac Tonight, a mysterious entity, has sent Ronald McDonald on a quest to collect the seven McRelics. These McRelics when combined shall give the wielder immense power. To Ronald McDonald, power brings popularity, and with both he would finally have the confidence to confess his feelings to his classmate Hatsune Miku. Ronald will be making friends, enemies, as well as questionable decisions, in this nonsensical, randomly generated adventure.
Relationships: Hatsune Miku/Ronald McDonald
Series: Ronald McDonald's A.I. Adventure [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797169
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. Welcome to NicoNico High

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronald McDonald has been tasked by Mac Tonight to find the McRelics. According to rumours, a few McRelics are actually hidden inside NicoNico High... 
> 
> (This story is semi-randomly generated using A.I. Dungeon. Plotholes and nonsense will be kept to a minimum, but I guess that's part of the charm...?)

You are Ronald McDonald. Currently you are studying at NicoNico High. Your classmates are the female idol sensation Hatsune Miku, as well as the head of the music club Rick Astley. One night, you encounter the mysterious Mac Tonight, a man with a moon for a head. Mac tells you that you can achieve ultimate power if you collect all legendary McRelics. You agree to help him and you set off on your journey.

What do you find?

> You go to NicoNico High school.  
You walk into the school and find yourself in the cafeteria. You spot two people you know. One of them is your classmate Rick Astley, the other one is a young woman who goes to your school named Hayate.

> You say "Hey, Rick. Who is Hayate?"  
Rick Astley looks up from his meal, before looking back down.  
"Hayate is a new student. She's the president of the music club.

> You say "I thought you were the head of the music club."  
"I am!" Rick Astley says with a laugh. "But she's taking my place! She's the new head!"  
You look over at Hayate, who looks away as soon as your eyes meet hers.

> You hello Hayate. Your name is Ronald McDonald. Pleased to meet you.  
Rick Astley makes a dumb joke as Hayate avoids eye contact with you.

> You eat lunch.  
You grab a knife and fork from the table.  
Suddenly, Rick Astley disappears from your vision. You turn around and find yourself face to face with an abomination!

> You say "What?! Hayate! Get down!"  
"You can pass through me," the abomination says in a low voice. "Give me something in exchange."

> You say "What would you want from a normal student like me?"  
The abomination grabs your hand and places the knife against it.  
"Something sparkly."  
You drop the knife as your hand begins to smoke. You scream in pain as blood begins to ooze from your wound. The abomination grins as it disappears.  
You wake up in bed, covered in sweat, as a throbbing pain hits your head.

> You say "Was that really just a dream?"  
You sit up and rub your temples. The room comes into focus as you look around it. Your eyes fall on your computer, and you recall the events of the night before. Another dream, just like the last one.

> You check the time.  
5:30 AM. You groan and stand up from your chair, heading towards the door. You pause as you notice something written on your whiteboard:  
Who is the Nightmare King?

> You say "The Nightmare King...? Who wrote this?"  
Your footsteps carry you as you walk down the hallway. Everyone else in the school is asleep, as the only sound is that of your flipflops hitting the floor.

> You search for Rick Astley.  
Rick Astley stands at the top of the stairs, staring blankly ahead. He's wearing your old black hoodie and has his hands in his pockets. He doesn't notice you as you walk up behind him.

> You tap him on the shoulder.  
Rick Astley turns around and lets out a scream, which is muffled by the burlap sack he's wearing over his head.

> You say "What are you doing here? It's 5:30 in the morning!"  
"A-Am I... What happened last night?" Rick asks in a scared voice, pulling down the sack over his mouth. "Who are you?"  
"Where were you last night?"

> You say "Last night? I was in my room sleeping. But now that you mention it, I did have a weird dream that you disappeared..."  
"Really?" Rick asks in a happy voice, pulling down his hoodie so he can breathe better. "You had my dream too! That's so cool!"  
"Weird," you reply.

> You say "Anyways, we should go back to our dorms. There's no point staying up this early in the morning..."  
"Agreed!" Rick says. "Let's go!"  
As you make your way up the stairs towards the exit of the school, a dark sense of deja vu hits you.

> You say "Rick, about that dream we shared... don't you think it felt too real?"  
Rick Astley seems to think for a moment. Then, he replies...  
"If it was too real, then it wasn't a dream."

> You say "Haha, that's true."  
Your friends' absence pains you more than usual this morning. As much as you want to see them, there is no reason for you to be here anymore.  
You have heard rumors that the first McRelic is hidden somewhere inside the school. The name of the first relic is the McFlurry. The McFlurry can grant the wielder the ability to soften any solid. Once it's used enough times, it makes aiming at people far away easier. If the rumors are true, then this is your chance to leave peacefully, while everyone else is gone.

> You sneak into the school's lower floors.  
You creep past the crowds of students outside, heading straight for the doors of the school building. But as soon as you do, some girl wearing pink stripes starts talking to you...  
"Hey wait!"  
You turn around to find none other than Megurine Luka. The tomboyish Luka is Hatsune Miku's best friend, but she is very protective of Miku as well. She lashes out at anyone that makes advances on Miku. Last night she was in your dream. Why would she be here now?  
"Why are you leaving so early in the morning?" she asks. "It isn't even classes yet.

> You say "Luka?! What are you doing here?"  
She gives a cheeky smile, which makes her look disturbingly feline like for a moment.  
"I was walking this way anyway," she says simply.

> You lie to Luka, telling her that you had to go to the bathroom.  
"Yeah, I have to go to the bathroom as well."  
"Alright then, let's go find it!" she smiles. "Do you know where the bathrooms are around here?"  
"I don't know,"

> You say "But I'm pretty sure the girl's bathroom is in the other direction... I'll be fine on my own..."  
Her ears flatten as her smile disappears from her face. She sniffs in disgust, then quickly turns around and leaves. It seems that lying to her was a bit unkind... Time to change directions!

> You continue to make your way to the school's gym area.  
The corridors leading down to the lower floors are a mess of lockers and dust bunnies. In the distance you can hear laughter and various shouts drifting down from on high. Someone must be having fun already!

> You sneak nearer towards the sound.  
Ahead of you is a set of stairs leading up to another level, where classes are held, and it looks like someone is here. Two faces look down from the second level railing at you.

> You say "Why are classes being held so early in the morning? It's only 6 in the morning."  
One of the students shrugs as he walks past, not bothering to answer you. The other one answers though, as she teeters on one foot and leans over to shout down at you.  
"We're having an initiation today! Only the strongest of students get to join!"  
Well, that explains things then... An initiation for new students at this age seems pretty unusual though.

> You say "Initiation? Strongest of students? What is this a fight club?"  
The girl cackles as she walks past you. She seems to find your questions amusing. You continue on and stop at the base of the stairs leading up.  
From there, you see the legendary McFlurry, placed on top of a pile of desks at the back of the room! You didn't notice it at first due to all the people standing around it, but that's what it is! It looks like a giant chapped lollipop with spikes sticking out of it.

> You say "Excuse me, but I need to have that McFlurry. How do I compete in this Initiation?"  
There's a brief pause before one student answers you, but his voice carries easily throughout the class. "You haven't completed your final year here at Mc College yet kid." He laughs to himself and walks away from you.

> You say "Please! Make an exception for me! I must enter this initiation at all costs!"  
The other student shakes his head and walks away as well, leaving you all alone by yourself with the McFlurry behind you! Looks like they don't want anything to do with you...

> You take the McFlurry.  
You turn around and bend over so that you're eye level with the McFlurry. Carefully, you reach out and grab hold of it with both hands. You lift it up and find it surprisingly heavy.  
The McFlurry, upon recognising the "Mascot Brand" on your hand, begins to merge into you. You have gained it's power to soften any solid surfaces! Well, it appears that your quest will not be so difficult after all!  
What now?

> You say "One down, six to go. I need to get out of this school."  
You begin walking around the school halls again, heading towards where you remember the boy's bathroom being located. It's empty though; everyone seems to be in class right now.  
You think about why you're collecting the 7 McRelics in the first place. Mac Tonight told you that by attaining ultimate power, you could become popular in school. From then on, it would be a piece of cake asking Hatsune Miku out on a date. Even though you feel a little suspicious about Mac Tonight's ulterior motives, for now you have no choice but to follow through.  
When you reach the boy's bathroom, you see a single stall door half way open. Peeking your head inside reveals an empty bathroom.

> You check the bathroom stall.  
Upon entering, you see no one in there with you. There is a dispenser for soap and a single shower curtain for privacy. As far as bathrooms go, this one is pretty nice.

> You take a shower.  
You feel much cleaner after taking the shower. The water from the shower feels nice running down your skin and cleaning away any dirt or grime that may have been on you during your stay in this school's boy's bathroom.

> You return to class.  
You walk into the class that you have arrived just in time before everyone else. The teacher starts teaching right away and all of your questions regarding this school and the purpose of this class seem to have vanished from your mind.

> You meet up with Rick Astley during lunch break.  
You decide that eating lunch together will make things easier so you head towards the cafeteria area with Rick Astley following behind you.

> You say "So Rick, I know you wouldn't believe this, but I've collected the first McRelic hidden in this school."  
"What! Really? You need to find the second one, which is right by Terry Crews' office!" Rick Astley replies with eagerness.

> You say "What? Mr. Crews? That teacher is dangerous!"  
"Nonsense! He is one of the most respected and well-loved teachers at this school! Anyway, he gives out free food to anyone who has an acting job in any of his movies!"

> You say "Maybe I was mistaken... Say, would you follow me to his office then? We could ask for the McRelic kindly."  
Rick Astley agrees and follows behind you as you walk towards Mr. Crews' office.  
Terry Crews is an unpredictable character. He has the tendency to break reality whenever he has his regular episodic mood swings. Nevertheless, he is a kind person at heart. Just don't get on his nerves...  
You approach Mr. Crews' office expecting him to yell at you for trying to enter without permission or something similar. Instead, he smiles when he sees Rick Astley and asks what he wants. He then turns his attention to you and starts questioning where you have been.

> You say "I'm sorry, was I supposed to be somewhere?"  
"No, no, it's just that Rick is a bit of a celebrity here at this school."  
"Oh... I see."  
"So what can I do for you?"

> You say "I am looking for the McRelics. I have been told that you are in possession of the second McRelic, the one they call the McFries..."  
Mr. Crews laughs at this comment.  
"Hah, I have no idea what you're talking about, kid." He says and then turns serious again.

> You say "Rick, are you sure that the McFries are actually here?"  
"Yes, I saw them with my own eyes!" Rick Astley replies very seriously.  
"You've been using too much sugar I think." Mr. Crews says and then laughs again before turning back to you.

> You say "Please, Mr. Crews. I need that McRelic."  
"Why?" He asks with confusion written all over his face.  
"I need it to impress Hatsune Miku." You reply awkwardly.  
"The singing...program? That...program? I don't think we have anything like that here."  
"That doesn't matter! I can have her if I have the McRelic!"

> You look around the office to find the McFries.  
You look around the office while Mr. Crews tries to search for the McFries to see if they are hiding somewhere on the premises.

> You say "Don't tell me, Mr. Crews, that you don't know where the McFries are as well?"  
"Heh, no, I do know where they are, but I don't think you would be able to handle them." Mr. Crews replies while shaking his head.

> You soften Terry Crews' office table, melting it down.  
You decide that it would be best if you melted down the Terry Crews' table so that it could be used as a new start point for the second McRelic hunt.

> You say "Forgive me, Mr. Crews, but I would have to find this McRelic by force!"  
"Whatever you say kid." Mr. Crews says while backing away from you nervously.  
After some unsuccessful searching for the McFries, Mr. Crews suggests that you try asking other students around the school if they know where the McFries are since they probably know what room they're in.

> You say "No, I know it is here! Rick Astley saw it in your office! I'll melt down the whole office in order to find the McFries!!"  
"No! Don't do that! Rick is very fond of that table and so is everyone else who works there!" Mr. Crews pleads with you.

> You say "Why isn't it here? Where could it be? Unless..."  
You pause your sentence for a moment before speaking again.  
"Unless Terry Crews is hiding it in himself...!"  
Terry Crews begins chuckling to himself.  
"Hehehe...I guess it can't be helped after all..." Mr. Crews smirks menacingly.  
And with these words, he draws a revolver from his side-pocket and points it straight at Terry's chest.

> You say "Mr. Crews! What are you doing?!"  
Mr. Crews laughs evilly as he puts another object into the revolver, causing it to become much heavier.

> You say "Wait...don't tell me... You're using the McFries as ammunition for that revolver?!!"  
Mr. Crews nods his head slowly and continues laughing evilly as he cocks the trigger of the gun, putting your entire life at risk.

> You say "What are you planning to do with the McRelic after you kill me?!"  
Mr. Crews continues laughing evilly and doesn't respond to your question.  
The second McRelic is indeed in Mr. Crews' neck.  
"I have a score to settle... with a certain man named Isaiah Mustafa." Mr. Crews scowls.  
"Y'see, Isaiah's been a bit of a ladies' man. And he used his manly charms to advertise for Old Spice. Of course, I was in that business as well, but not for long. Guess if you don't got the charms, you don't get to sell your product." Mr. Crews reminisces.  
"But now," he continues,  
"Now with the McRelics, I'll finally be able to attract the customers I need to put Isaiah in his place!"  
With these words, he pulls the trigger of his heavy-revolver, firing the piece of metal at you!  
If you weren't feeling death's cold embrace already, you soon will be now...  
...until the bullet softens as soon as it touches your skin, before bouncing off of your cheek and melting onto the floor below your feet.

> You say "Unfortunately, Mr. Crews, bullets don't work on me."  
A surprised silence fills the room as Mr. Crews seems to struggle to comprehend what you just said was true.

> You kick Mr. Crews' head clean off his shoulders.  
Mr. Crews hits the floor with a bloody mess for a head before slumping down slowly like a ragdoll.

> You take the McFries from Mr. Crews' neck stump.

The second McRelic enters your body. You feel the power of the McFries surging within you. You learn that the McFries grant you the ability to release powerful blasts of salt when loaded into a gun. The harder you concentrate, the more destructive the blast, but it takes great concentration and saps your energy greatly. Not even using the blast takes much focus, though it saps your energy slowly.

> You say "I'm sorry you had to see that, Rick."  
"That's OK, I know I'm going to graduate soon anyway." Rick laughs. "Come on, let's find these other five McRelics."

> You say "Do you think Mr. Crews will be alright?"  
Rick pauses for a moment before replying.  
"I guess we'll have to deal with him when we come back for these relics."

> You say "Alright then. Let's go back to our dorms for now."  
The two of you walk out of the cafeteria, thinking that you'd better not be late for lunch again or face the wrath of Mr. Crews.  
\---  
You find yourself back in your room where you begin packing some stuff for your trip to Area 7.

> You say "Mac Tonight, what reason do you have for me to go to Area 7?"  
"None." He answers. "However, I'm not coming with you. I'm going back home. Apparently I'm not as cool as you are, or at least that's what she seems to think.

> You say "Who's "she"?"  
"Natalie Horler is my girlfriend." He says simply.  
"Oh." You reply, not really knowing how to respond to that information.  
"Well anyway, I'm off."  
Natalie Horler is the lead singer in the German band "Cascada". Her most famous single, "Everytime We Touch", spreads the message of love and affection across the world.  
"Cascada" and Mac Tonight... you think about the correlations between them before bumping into none other than Hatsune Miku herself!  
She's wearing her usual outfit; consisting of a white collared top and short black skirt, and her stockings have been replaced with some knee-high boots.

> You say "Miku! Um, sorry about that."  
"Hello there!" She says cheerfully.  
"Are you going back home now?"  
"Yes, I've been away too long as it is."

> You proceed to pick up the stuff that you dropped after bumping into Hatsune Miku.  
Miku bends over and picks up your GEM phone which had been knocked off of its charger by the force of your running into her. She then looks at you with confusion and concern in her eyes.

> You say "What's wrong?"  
"You're frowning." She says while picking up her phone from the floor where it had landed after being knocked off of its charger by you bumping into her.  
"Sorry about that." You apologize once again.

> You say "To tell you the truth, I will be leaving NicoNico High for awhile. I'm going to Area 7."  
Miku's eyes light up immediately as she gives you a big smile.  
"Will you come with me!? That would be so awesome!"  
"I would love too..."

> You say "Wait, you're going to Area 7 too? Why?"  
Miku nods her head and says, "It's a long story," with a wry smile on her face.  
"In any case, I'd best get going if I want to make my flight."

> You say "Alright then, see you at the airport."  
"Okay! See you soon!" She says and then quickly kisses you on your cheek before running off towards the door.

> You go to find Rick Astley to tell him that you're leaving for a while.  
You rush down the hallways towards Rick Astley's class, and manage to catch up with him outside his class in the hall.

> You say "Hey Rick. Just letting you know that I'll be going to Area 7 to find the next McRelic. Surprisingly, Miku's coming with me."  
Rick Astley looks at you and smiles a bit as he replies, "that's great! Maybe I'll even get a vacation soon!"

> You say "Yeah, you work so much as president for the Music Club. If anyone deserves a rest, it's you."  
Rick Astley smiles again as he replies, "thanks man. I appreciate it."

> You say "Alrighty then, guess this is goodbye for now. I'll be back soon!"  
Rick Astley gives you a thumbs up and says, "great! See ya later man!" as he goes into class.  
You leave the school and go towards the bus stop, hoping that the bus will come soon.  
The bus eventually arrives. You board the bus, only to find that the bus is crowded with passengers. You struggle to find a seat. Eventually you manage to find one. The bus pulls out of the parking lot and starts heading towards the main road.  
As you get comfortable in your seat, you turn your head to look out the window. To your surprise, the passenger sitting next to you is none other than Megurine Luka! She looks at you and gives you a small wave, then turns away from the window and sits down looking out the window.

> You say "Where are you heading to, Luka?"  
She doesn't respond, but instead just looks out the window with an unamused expression on her face.  
Soon enough the bus gets closer to its final destination: City Center Station.

> You say "Look, I know that we didn't really get off on the right foot, but I assure you that I mean no harm to Miku."  
Luka still doesn't respond. Instead she just continues to stare out the window.  
Soon City Center Station is in sight. The bus pulls into the bus stop right in front of it.

> You say "Wait, don't tell me that you are going to Area 7 as well?!"  
Luka replies without turning around, "of course not, I'm going to Area 12." With that she stands up from her seat and walks past you off the bus without another word.

> You get off the bus to take the next line to the airport.  
After paying your fare with 20000 McP, you head down the hallway towards the exit of the bus terminal. As you approach the exit, you run into a strange, hooded figure!

> You say "W-Woah!"  
The figure pulls back its hood revealing short blond hair and brown eyes. It speaks in a friendly yet raspy voice, "you look stressed out kid. You look like you could use a good meal."

> You say "Actually, I think I'm good. I'm going to meet someone at the airport. Thanks for the offer anyways."  
The figure looks at you for a moment and seems a bit disappointed that you aren't willing to accept his help, but he shrugs it off and heads off down the hallway without another word.  
As he turns his back towards you, you notice that there is a fluffy red appendage dangling from his sleeve. Then it disappears from view. Either way, thanks for the offer, but I can take care of myself.

> You take the other bus to the airport.  
You take the nearest bus (which is headed towards Oden's Furniture). The whole time you're riding the bus you feel like someone is watching you from the seats in front of you and behind.

> You reach the airport and wait outside for Hatsune Miku.  
After about half an hour of waiting outside in the cold and rain, you decide that it would be best if you went inside one of the airport buildings to wait inside since it's starting to get dark anyway.

> You say "I wonder if she is alright, she's taking a bit longer to reach here than normal."  
You feel something akin to guilt when you think that perhaps Hatsune Miku is not as well off as you had thought, but you push these thoughts out of your head and go inside one of the airport buildings to wait inside

> You book two tickets for the flight, one for Miku and one for yourself.  
Once inside, you wait in line for an automated ticketing machine and buy two economy class plane tickets to Area 7 for yourself and your friends' flight, along with some food and drinks for the flight.

> You say "Why is airplane food so expensive?"  
Suddenly, your entire body goes into a state of paralysis. Then, a cold voice emanates from your mouth: "You can afford it, so you should pay for it."

> You say "Ugh?!! What?!"  
The cost of everything goes up by 4000 Mc points. This includes airplane food, alcoholic beverages, and so on and so forth.

> You say "Who are you? How did you do that??"  
Nobody responds.

> You try to spit out whatever is hiding in your mouth.  
As soon as your mouth is open, a vase flies into it and breaks. The liquid inside goes all over your body. Luckily, you are wearing a jacket so it doesn't drench you through.

> You say "Argh! It hurts! Cough! Cough!"  
"You can afford it," the voice says once more. This time, it sounds closer. More objects start flying at you from all sides of the room.

> You shoot salt bullets at the incoming objects.  
You shoot several bullets of salt at every angle at every object coming your way.

> You say "Get out of my mouth!"  
The objects disappear as soon as they hit you or otherwise hit whatever is close by. Things such as pieces of chairs, small vases, and even bits of small broken furniture fly into you from every direction.

> You reach into your mouth to pull the assailant out.  
You touch nothing but... AIR. The entire space where the ghost was standing is now completely empty. You don't feel any pain or sense of injury in your mouth though; it feels completely normal right now.

> You say "Something, someone, is sending ghosts to attack me. I need to find this person fast, or my life, no, Miku's life will be in danger! "  
Suddenly, things starting appearing in the hallway again. Just like before, they begin to float towards you and then suddenly disappear.

> You ignore the ghosts and search for the real enemy.  
You walk further into the hallway and before long you hear voices. Seems like the ghosts are following you right now.  
You follow the voices until you reach a dead end where three people are arguing with each other. Upon hearing them argue, the ghosts behind you stop attacking you and go invisible. For now, you're safe because these people don't see you.

> You listen in on their argument.  
A woman, about in her late 20's or early 30's, is holding onto the arm of a man who is about in his late 40's or early 50's.  
"That's him, officer!" She cried out, tugging on the policeman's arm.  
"That's the man behind the ghost hauntings around here!" She accused, pointing at the other man. This man is dressed in blue, with brown hair and brown eyes. He smiles nonchalantly, despite the accusations. "I'm telling the truth!"  
"Well then prove it!" The older man snarls back. "Go on, do your ghost tricks! Spew out some ectoplasm and make them appear!  
"I'll assure you officer," the man in blue says confidently, "I am not the man you are looking for."  
"However," he adds, "If you would like to get rid of these ghosts, do I have the product for you!" He pulls out a little purple vial from his pocket and offers it to the cop.  
"What is it?" The cop asks suspiciously.  
"Hi I'm Derek Baum! Say goodbye to daily wraiths and dirty poltergeists with the new Ghost Grenade!" The man exclaims, revealing his name to be Derek Baum.  
"Alright Mr... Mr...." The cop looks around desperately for some sort of cue.  
"D-D-D-Didn't anyone tell you... I-I-I work alone!"  
"This airport's filthy!" Derek Baum exclaims.  
"But with just a pull of the trigger..."  
"Run!!" The cop shrieked, pulling the woman away from the Ghost Grenade before it hits the floor.  
The man turns around and runs out of the building with a speed that no one could've predicted. "It's a trap!" The woman shouts after him as they leave.  
"Ghosts don't run away!"  
The explosion drowns out Derek Baum's maniacal laughter as the ghosts burn from the special chemicals emitted from the Ghost Grenade. You run away from the blast, looking back in awe at the size and power of the explosion.

> You say "That Derek Baum's a madman!"  
"What happened here?" You ask. A half burned figure lies on the floor near the ghost grenades and wreckage of what looks like several small planes.

> You approach the burned figure.  
It's apparent that this person had been flying one of those planes when they had crashed into one of the walls of the building leaving it severely damaged and aflame on one side.  
"What's going on here? Ronald?" a worried voice echoes down the airport hallway. You turn back to see Hatsune Miku running towards you. "Why are there ghosts here?" She asks. "Miku?" You reply, shocked at seeing her here.  
"Who's that?"

> You say "This is Derek Baum. He blew the place up in order to exterminate the ghosts... but it looks like he'll be joining them after all."  
"But I thought you could help them! Why would you do such a thing?"  
"Help them?" She looks confused for a moment, but then shakes her head.  
Suddenly, the burned body of Derek Baum begins to twitch, before rising unnaturally into a standing position. One of his eyes flashes red, and his face has been burned away to reveal a smiling, cybernetic skull! He lets out a burst of fire from his hand that burns his entire body, but doesn't harm Miku in any way. With a low, rumbling voice, he begins to step towards us...  
"NO!"

> You say "Stand back, Miku! Let me handle this."  
Miku reluctantly steps back as Mr. Baum steps towards you and lets out a stream of fire.

> You say "So, you were a cyborg after all?! Explain what is going on with the ghosts and the Grenade you're selling!"  
Mr. Bamm pauses for a moment to let out a burst of fire that sets your entire outfit alight but doesn't harm you, before answering your question.  
"The Ghost Grenade is not the only product I have on me." Derek replies, pulling out something from his pocket. He pulls out what appears to be the third McRelic, also known as the McRibs. According to legend, the McRibs is an ancient instrument used to summon ghosts into the material plane. It is composed of three blades made from an incredibly hard metal with an even harder dark magic enchantment, allowing them to cut through anything as if it wasn't even there. He hands one of the three blades to you.

> You say "So you were using the McRibs to boost your sales on Ghost Grenades? How can you live with yourself?!"  
Derek rolls his eyes and sighs as he approaches you and puts his hand on your shoulder. His attitude changes immediately, and he becomes less hostile.  
"It wasn't easy for me," he explains, "trying to make ends meet."  
"But the power that these McRelics bestow on us, they give us a chance to start over, a speck of hope in this cursed world," he continues.  
"Fight me, Ronald, with that piece of McRib I gave you."  
"Fight me to the death for this McRelic," he says, "It's the only way."  
You're having a hard time believing that this is the same man who blew up a portion of an airport terminal moments earlier. He must've put on a very good show.

> You say "I accept the challenge. I need that McRibs more than anything. We'll see whose conviction will win out in the end!"  
Miku looks surprised by your decision, but doesn't say anything. She takes one of the remaining two McRelics on board and hands you one of them as well, which surprises you quite a bit.

> You say "Thank you, Miku. I'm sorry that you got caught up in this mess."  
Miku smiles at your words as she gets into a defensive position. Mr. Baum walks forward, looking gleeful at his impending victory over you.

> You run towards Derek Baum, brandishing the McRib Dagger in one hand and loading the McFries gun in the other hand.  
Determined not to let this man get anywhere near those McFries, you prepare to fight him with all your might! He moves his head slightly as if to sniff the air, then smiles as he bursts forward to attack!

> You summon ghosts using the McRib Dagger to tackle Derek Baum.  
Using every ounce of your speed, you move forward quickly and tackle Mr. Baum with every bit of force you can muster! This has worked wonders for you many times before, and it seems like it will work again!

> You aim your dagger at Derek Baum's face.  
Unfortunately, Mr. Baum anticipated this tactic once again and manages to grab your wrist before you can plunge the dagger into his face! He flips you onto the ground and proceeds to bring his knee into your stomach!

> You say "Urgh!! Ow..."  
Derek holds your head down with his foot while taking out his knife and rolling onto it. He begins sawing into your neck in an attempt to decapitate you with one swift motion.

> You melt the ground Derek Baum is standing on, causing him to lose balance and sink into the ground!  
Your power causes part of the floor to liquefy, and this combined with your heavy head knocking makes Mr. Baum fall right through!

> You fall down with Baum, plunging the dagger into him as both of you hit the lower floor.  
As you both hit the ground, your bodies are trapped under rubble; while Mr. Baum's body remains mostly unharmed, you're left partially buried under concrete blocks.

> You say "Impossible..."  
Determined to make sure that Mr. Baum cannot escape like last time, you begin to lift up several of the concrete blocks from atop your body.

> You liquefy the rubble before sending the rubble hurtling towards Derek Baum.  
Once again, you are successful in liquefying the concrete before launching it towards Mr. Baum, burying him under rubble once again.

> You harden the liquefied rubble, trapping Derek Baum within the concrete.  
You succeed in hardening the liquefied concrete and trapping Mr. Baum inside, leaving no chance of him escaping like last time.

> You say "You are an honorable warrior, which is why I don't have the heart to end your life. I'll be taking the remaining pieces of the McRibs now."  
Mumbling under his breath about being a lousy bounty hunter and a terrible friend, Mr. Baum gives in and hands over the remaining three McRibs to you happily.

> You take the McRibs.  
With your newfound bounty, you finally buy yourself that third flight that you needed for your trip to Area 7.

> You say "Let's go, Miku! To Area 7!"  
Miku smiles at your enthusiasm. "Let's go!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just doing a little something for fun here, mashing up a bunch of stuff that I like into one adventure. Hope you guys can enjoy this mess of a story as much as I did. Expect more of this to come in the future! :)


	2. The Two-Faced Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Ronald McDonald. You have been tasked by Mac Tonight to collect the seven McRelics in order to gain popularity and win Miku's heart.   
> So far, you and Miku are on a plane heading to Area 7, where the fourth McRelic is located. The plane has just landed when you suddenly feel something hit your back. It hurts like hell, but it isn't even painful anymore than if you had gotten a bump on the head while sleeping.
> 
> This story is created with A.I. Dungeon. Be ready for more randomness.

Your name is Ronald McDonald. You have been tasked by Mac Tonight to collect the seven McRelics in order to gain popularity and win Miku's heart.   
So far, you and Miku are on a plane heading to Area 7, where the fourth McRelic is located. The plane has just landed when you suddenly feel something hit your back. It hurts like hell, but it isn't even painful anymore than if you had gotten a bump on the head while sleeping.

> You turn around to see what hit you.  
You turn around to see who or what hurt you, but you don't see anything out of the ordinary.  
"That hurt!" you yell in surprise.

> You check how much time is left before the plane touches down.  
The minute hand on the plane's clock sweeps around to four minutes before landing.  
"Something just hit me!" you say.  
The flight attendant comes up from behind you.  
"What is it this time?"

> You say "Sorry, I might be just feeling unwell... Can I order a glass of water please?"  
She says she will get it for you as soon as the plane lands.  
You continue to look around, but you don't see anything out of the ordinary.  
"Huh?"

> You check how Hatsune Miku is doing.  
Miku has been following your conversation, and checks to make sure everything is okay. You quickly reply that it's nothing, and then continue to stare out the window.

> You say "So, Miku, why are you going to Area 7?"  
She tells you that there are some friends from the music industry that will be there, and she would like to hang out with them.  
"Hmm... That sucks."  
You change the conversation back to her friends.

> You say "You're friends with Luka right? I feel like I have angered her somehow. She refused to talk to me while we were on the bus. Do you know why she's mad Miku?"  
Miku says she has no idea why Luka would be angry with you and that you are welcome to talk to her anytime about it.

> You say "So, how's life being a popular idol. Can't imagine that idol life would be easy..."  
Miku says that actually it isn't all that bad and she has her friends to keep her grounded.

> You say "I see. Friends, huh... "  
You think for a moment before speaking again.  
"Tell me, does your mom know about your job?"  
Miku seems surprised by your sudden question.  
"I don't have a mother," Miku stammered.  
"Not anymore..."  
Miku slumps her head.  
"Actually I don't remember her... But I'm guessing she died...

> You say "Oh... I'm sorry for bringing that up..."  
Miku smiles and shakes her head.

> You say "Here, let's cheer you up with a movie! This plane is actually has a good selection to choose from."  
Miku thanks you and settles into her seat to watch her movie. You flip through the channels until you find one with an interesting plot.

> You say "Have you watched Shrek? It's a pretty good movie. The characters are funny and the soundtrack is godlike."  
Miku agrees with you and enjoys watching the movie for the rest of flight.  
The plane finally lands onto Area 7's airport runway. After grabbing your things, you and Miku exit the airport and hail for a taxi.

> You say "Taxi!"  
A car pulls over within seconds and the driver gets out of his car to help you board it before driving off towards city center. You sit next to each other and you begin to chat.

> You say "Alright, next stop is to the Domino. It's the largest pizzeria in all of the Areas. If the next McRelic would be anywhere, that would be the best bet."  
Miku nods in agreement and tries not to let her nervousness show throughout the ride. When the car pulls up to the restaurant, you exit it and look for the entrance.  
"Forgive me, Ronald," Miku speaks under her breath.  
Before you could figure out what she meant by that, Miku slams her microphone over your head, immediately knocking you unconcious.  
After some time, you begin to stir. Upon regaining focus in your vision, you realise that the lines in front of you were prison bars. As well as hearing an alarm going off in the distance, you also notice that the crowd of people around you had suddenly increased in size.

> You say "Wh...What's going on? Who are you people?"  
Nobody answers you. All of the people gathered outside the bars simply stare at you in silence. As if knowing that something bad has happened.

> You say "Miku... What happened to Miku?"  
Nobody answers you this time either. The air seems to hold its breath as you look around in panic for someone who can answer your questions, but nobody is there to help you.

> You say "...Quit staring at me."  
Then, someone begins clapping. The sound echoes throughout the courtyard and startles you out of your trance.  
"Hello everyone," A voice boomed. "I'm Scott, President of Domino's Pizza."  
The crowd turned to face a giant screen. On the screen was Scott Oellkers, a middle-aged man with silver hair.  
"This is what, your lucky day my friends."  
The pizza guy continues his speech.  
"For many years, our talented Domino's pizza crew have been searching for the perfect ingredients for the perfect pizza. Today, I'd like to announce a new breakthrough in the innovation of pizzalology," Scott makes a gesture to the camera. At his command, two floodlights swing out the sides of the screen and point directly at you. Then, a baritone voice starts announcing from inside them.  
"Please give a warm welcome to our newest ingredient, RODRIGO!"

> You say "The name's Ronald!"  
The lights blind you as thousands of flashbulbs go off all around you. You feel a hot wave of sweat hit your face as your whole body trembles in fear.  
"We need not introduce ourselves,"  
Scott smirks,  
"At least, not to somebody who's about to be sent to the oven! Take him away boys!" Scott decrees, waving his hand as if it was a brush.  
At once, men dressed in black leather jackets appear from every corner of the courtyard and grab your hands and feet.

> You say "Rrrrgh! Let me go! You won't get away with this, Scott!"  
One of them turns around, grinning sadistically at you while snapping a pair of handcuffs onto your wrists. They're so tight that they cut off the flow of blood into your fingers, causing them to go numb.

> You reluctantly follow wherever the black leather men are taking you.  
You enter a nondescript building and are escorted into a room filled with several other handcuffed prisoners. You sit down on a chair and wait there alone until nightfall.

> You begin to question the other prisoners, hoping to find clues about where you are, or what is going on.  
"How long have we been here?" you demand of one of them once the door closes. He looks up at you with dull eyes and begins twisting his moustache between his fingers.  
"Five days now,"

> You say "What are they going to do to us?"  
He slowly turns his head towards you and begins twisting his moustache even more as if thinking about what he should say. After a while, he finally speaks up.  
"They'll kill us."  
You wait for him to elaborate, but he stops himself and simply stares at you blankly with his dead eyes.

> You say "So what that Scott guy said was true after all.... that we are going to become ingredients for their twisted pizza..."  
He makes no expression and only continues staring ahead. A long pause follows before he speaks again.  
"It's Friday."  
"What?"  
"It's Friday." He says it as if it was obvious.

> You say "Why does it matter that it's Friday?"  
"Because they have a tradition on Fridays." He says it as if it was obvious again, and slowly turns his head towards you.  
"It's pizza day."

> You say "This is no time to give up! We need to find a way to escape before that happens!"  
"Well you can't just let them do whatever they want whenever they want."  
He pauses and seems to think for a moment. His eyes seem to dart around your face before he speaks again. "If they bring in a large group of people on Fridays they don't kill any of them."  
You stay silent in response, trying to discern what he's driving at.

> You say "I see."  
He looks around nervously before continuing. "Last Friday two people escaped."

> You say "How did they do it?"  
"They were left handcuffed to a bed. If you were able to get out of those shackles yourself, you could probably get away too.

> You say "You just made me remember something. Thank you."  
He continues as if he hadn't noticed your gratitude.

> You walk back to the centre of the room.  
"Last Friday was just two days ago! We've been stuck in here for five days!" He says in desperation.  
You continue as if he had not interrupted.

> You apply salt on your handcuffs, causing them to rust.  
The handcuffs take longer than you thought they would and your arms feel like lead by the time you are finished.  
"Quite a show you're putting here," another prisoner interrupts, eyeing intently at your wrists. "We're all waiting for you to break out of those cuffs so we can do the same thing."

> You say "I'll melt all your handcuffs next. We're busting this joint together!"  
The man shrugs as if indifferent towards your threat before continuing. "Just get someone else to unlock these cuffs for you so we can get moving."  
Suddenly, the door opens up and an officer walks inside.  
"This is my chance," the prisoner grinned.   
"You know what to do, little guy!" He says to what appears to be a furry red puppet, that just happened to have been hiding in his shirt. The puppet nods in return before running off out the door again.   
The officer walks up and down the line looking each prisoner in the eye before speaking up. "It's Friday which means it's pizza day! Everyone gets one slice and no cheating either! If I hear about anymore cheating I'll give everyone else here one less too."  
"Don't eat the pizza," the prisoner warns you. "The pizza is cursed. Whoever eats it begins losing cognitive function. In the end, they'll become nothing but human pizza toppings."  
As much as you didn't want to risk it, you didn't fancy the idea of eating all this food either. It looked delicious though, and part of you just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

> You say "Who are you, anyway? How do you know so much about this?"  
The prisoner grins as if he knew you would ask that question first. He takes his time before answering, savouring the attention he's getting.  
" Don't you remember me? I was the hooded figure back at the bus stop," he explains. "As for my name, it's Jack. Jack Black."  
"Seriously?" You reply, trying to hide your surprise.

> You say "How did you end up in Domino's prison?"  
"Do you like mysteries?" He replies instead of answering your question.

> You say "Huh?"  
"I love mysteries!" He exclaims. "I love trying to solve them. That's why I'm in prison! But I also love pizza, so there's that too."  
"Of course, prison break isn't the only mystery that I have to solve right now," he adds. "You could say that I'm on a quest or something."   
Jack Black turns his head towards the prison door. "We can have this conversation another time. It appears that he has returned," Jack says, smiling confidently.  
Once again, the officer appears through the doorway, keys in hand. "Alright, I've unlocked all your cuffs," he says, approaching you. "Don't try anything funny though."  
"Don't sweat it officer," replied Jack. "The one that's being funny is you!" He laughs, staring directly at you while rubbing his hands together. "You know... I think this would be a good opportunity for me to escape. Then, I could solve both my mysteries at once.  
Like a flash of red, the puppet crawls out from behind the officer and places its hands around his throat. The officer struggles and attempts to call for backup, but before anyone arrives Puppet has him in a deadly chokehold, until he eventually suffocates.  
"Well done Elmo, that'll do!" Jack congratulates the puppet. Elmo the puppet takes the prison keys before scurrying back into Jack's sleeve. "Let's go, partner," he adds, turning towards you. "I believe we still have some unfinished business."

> You say "You're right. C'mon everyone! Let's bring the oven heat to them!"

The room shakes as more gunfire erupts outside. Thankfully, none of it has managed to hit anyone.

> You release salt blasts at the enemy gunmen.  
You fire a burst of crystallized salt at several enemy gunmen who are aiming their guns at the crowd of survivors on the roof.

> You join the prisoners and engage in battle with Scott's henchmen.  
You leap down from the roof and find yourself right in the middle of a gunfight.

> You summon ghosts to haunt their weaponry.  
You attempt to mentally summon ghosts to possess the guns of your enemies, but it doesn't work due to a low ghost population or some other reason.

> You say "Oh, come on!"  
You don't waste time whining about it though; you make use of what you have available to you and begin throwing pieces of asphalt at your enemies.

> You say "Jack, a little help here?"  
"Sure thing." He answers, appearing behind one of your enemies. He shoots him in the head, then his body disappears in a flash.

> You throw the injured enemy at the enemy group.  
You hurl your fallen opponent into your enemies; unfortunately, he isn't possessed by a ghost and just dies for real from his grievous wounds.

> You say "I've softened his leather jacket. You will now all be stuck to it once it hardens again!"  
One of the enemy gunmen catches on and begins running around in circles whilst chanting "Panic, panic".

> You look for the prison exit through the commotion.  
You notice that there are three corridors where people can enter the room you're in, but only one door, which is being guarded by a handful of your enemies, who you immediately use to get more ghosts.

> You break open the door.  
You kick open the door and run inside, but not before releasing a large burst of salt at your enemies who are trying to shoot you.

> You say "Door's open, everyone! Let's make a break for it!"  
Everyone else begins running and Jack bursts through the door after you. It seems he couldn't wait any longer; he wanted to go on this job for the sake of having an excuse to explore this facility.

> You make your way through the corridor, searching for the President's office.  
As you run along the corridor, you come across the remains of what used to be a small army of secretaries and guards that were there to protect the former leader of the pizza company.

> You say "What happened here?"  
"Ninja stealth Tactics." answers Jack, reading one of the bulletins that was left behind by one of the dead guards.

> You say "Come on, we've got no time to lose. Let's continue to look for Scott."  
You all continue down the corridor, passing more dead guards and employees on your way to the kitchen area where the cooks are supposed to be keeping those flamethrowers safe.

> You send ghosts to possess the flamethrowers.  
With your ghostly army behind you, you easily take control over all the flamethrowers in the kitchen area, leaving none for your enemies.  
"This way!"

> You wait for every prisoner to leave the kitchen, before barricading the entrance with the possessed flamethrowers.  
There's no need to worry about any escaped prisoners; everyone had enough sense to run away when they saw you taking over the entire arsenal.  
"It seems I have underestimated you, Mr Dumbledorf."

> You say "Dumbledorf? It's McDonald! Show yourself, Scott!"  
An enemy flamethrower operator appears through one of the side doors, holding his weapon out in front of him with a grin on his face as he approaches you.

> You say "I won't let you!"  
The man bursts into laughter as he starts to advance towards you, obviously expecting you to attack him given that you're in possession of the McRelics that can destroy his weapon with one shot.

> You release a pulse of salty energy towards the laughing pyrotechnician.  
Unfortunately, this attack is absorbed by his flamethrower and he continues to advance towards you despite now being on fire, which is probably making him laugh even more.

> You say "Crap, I don't think I have an ability that can negate fire!"

"Well, Elmo, I guess it's finally our time to shine," Jack says, completely unfazed by the predicament you are all in.  
Jack steps in front of you, then assumes into a defensive stance. Wisps of energy begin to aggregate around his right hand. His weapon's shape begins to materialise. It is a metallic rod with a circular blade at the end. No, it wasn't circular. The blade has 8 glorious sides, and 8 stunning angles! One would call it a perfect form. A beaver might describe it as a " DAM clever blade ".  
"Ready when you are, Elmo!" Jack exclaims.  
"Elmo's ready!" Elmo replies in a squeaky voice.  
In perfect sync, they both shout from the top of their lungs.  
"STOP!"  
Their voices are so powerful that it causes you to fall off your feet due to the force. Your ears ring for a few seconds afterwards.  
...but you don't reach the ground. Perplexed, you try to look around, but your head and even your eyes are unable to move. Even though you are paralyzed, you can still hear the sounds of Jack and Elmo from afar.  
You now realize that Jack and Elmo had the ability to stop time. Jack proceeded to walk past the flames, now frozen in place, and approaches the pyrotechnician, who is also paralyzed. After giving him a light kick to the stomach, Jack turns to look at you and Elmo.  
"You can get yourself out of this!" He shouts.  
Elmo slowly picks himself up and does likewise.  
Jack turns back at the enemy, and finishes him off with a cleave from his angular weapon. The man falls over, and before he can utter a sound, Jack sends his weapon into him with enough power to pierce his armor and impale his unprotected skull.  
"8 seconds of timestop. Time will begin to move again," Jack murmurs. The enemy implodes from the impact and Jack's weapon de-materialises from his hand. He walks over to where you are still lying, still knocked senseless, and offers his hand to help you up.  
You take it and get up, before collapsing onto the floor again from sheer exhaustion.

> You say "No, seriously. Who are you?"  
"Serious?" he replies, scratching his head. "Well, I guess it's good I'm here now."  
"I mean, who are YOU?"

> You say "I guess we can talk later. Thanks for saving us back there."  
"Thanks for saving Elmo and Jack too," Elmo says, looking genuinely grateful. "We'll talk later," he continues. "Come on, let's get out of here."

> You locate Scott's office.  
As you enter the lair's "headquarters" building, you notice that it's rather simplistic inside as well as outside. A desk sits in the corner alongside a wall of filing cabinets.

> You say "Be on your guard. This could be a trap."  
"Do you think he'd really do something like that?" Jack asks incredulously. "He's not like that."  
"He's right you know," Scotts voice echoes around the room. "Underhanded tricks will only disrupt the reputation of the company."  
You turn around slowly as you hear the voice, as do your companions.  
A tiny screen of Scott's face hangs over the entrance of his office. His corporate smile doesn't waver as he stares down at the company. As before, he wears a black suit with a white shirt and cyan tie. A familiar silhouette stands behind him.  
Scott turns his head slightly, his eyes continue staring ahead. "Your time is now, finish the job like I asked you to," he says to the shadowy figure behind him. "Oh, and leave no survivors." The screen blinks off, covering the office room with darkness.  
As the silence continues, silence seems to grow louder than any scream or roar in here. The air becomes more hostile than any beast could make it.  
The anticipation finally drops to the sound of a body breaking through the ceiling and landing onto the office tiles. Neon lights begin to emit from the corners of the room, reflecting off the silhouette to reveal the shocking truth.  
"Hello, Ronald McDonald," the silhouette says quietly, revealing herself to be none other than Hatsune Miku. Her arms are crossed as she stares down at you all in turn. Her eyes flicker as she glances at each one of your faces individually. Finally, she turns away and begins to pace around the room slowly.

> You say "Miku...? What...are you doing here?"  
She stops pacing and turns her head slowly towards you. She raises an eyebrow as if asking you a question without speaking it out loud.

> You say "Hey...this is a joke, right? N-Now's not the time for that, y'know... Miku?"  
Miku looks at you steadily as her eyes begin to sparkle with recognition. "...you're..." She begins to say softly before stopping to think about what she was about to say.  
Her gaze on you breaks as Jack leaps at Miku, swinging his weapon at her. She catches it with her hands and places it against his forehead, freezing him in a block of ice. She takes a step back as a large, humanoid figure emerges from the shadows to hold him in place.

> You say "No... you're Scott! What have you done to Miku?!"  
You take a few steps towards them as the shadows reveal the President of Domino's Pizza.  
"Have you heard of Hatsune Miku?" Scott replies. "She is a virtual idol. She's half machine; her brain has been wired into a system that allows her to produce music by thinking about it."  
"Why did you do this to her?"  
"I didn't do anything," Scott retorts. "As a matter of fact, Miku was the one that came to us for help."  
The program known as 'Vocaloid' had become popular due to its simple layout and robotic music style.  
"The sad truth," Scott continues, "is that Vocaloid, like popular trends, fade into obscurity once the world grew bored of them." He walks up to the expressionless Miku, putting his hand on her shoulder. "In any case, popular demand has once again risen with the advent of our collaborative project."  
Miku raises an eyebrow as she turns her head to stare at you with empty eye-sockets.

> You say "Miku... I didn't know..."  
"Nobody knew, not even her," he says sadly, turning away from you. "That's why we've had to keep everything under wraps until this new 'project' is ready for release."

> You say "You scumbag! What are you scheming?"  
"I'm not scheming anything." He turns around and stares at you dead on, his eyes narrowing in malice.  
"In fact, the schemes end here, now that I have the wielder of 3 McRelics standing right in front of me!" Scott growls, signalling Miku to leap after you with murderous intent.  
"Boys! Hold him still!" His assistant holds up a glowing green device that floats over the middle of the room. "It's a tranquillizer gun!"

> You say "Elmo! Grab the tranquilizer gun!"  
Elmo quickly rushes over to join you as you attempt to evade their grips.

> You throw Elmo at the tranquilizer gun, hoping that Elmo would grab it.  
You see Elmo dive at the gun, knocking it out of the air as he rolls around clutching his chest with both hands.

> You elbow the assistants holding you down.  
As they try to hold you down, you make a quick jab at one holding you down with your elbow. Your aim is perfect, knocking him unconscious before he has a chance to react.  
As soon as you break free, you raise your head to find Miku directly in front of you. She performs a tackle, sweeping your legs out from under you and sending you crashing onto your stomach. She tackles you with crushing force, pinning you down as her face comes closer and closer to your own.

> You say "Miku... snap out of it... we're friends, remember?"  
As she gets up off of you, she seems confused for a moment before she glares at you again.  
"A 'friend' would be able to understand the hell I've been through," she remarks coldly.  
"Then maybe you need a better friend," you retort.  
"Perhaps..."  
Miku prepares to charge at you once more, but this time she appears less sure of herself, hesitating for a moment.

> You close your eyes and brace the impact.  
As you brace yourself for another tackle, you hear a gunshot behind you, causing you to open your eyes and look behind you just in time for a crossbow bolt to slam into your back.  
As you writhe in pain, the crossbow bolt retracts, pulling out the McRibs from your body. You look back in bewilderment as the McRibs fall into Scott's hands.  
"What the...?" You gasp, shocked by what just happened.  
"We were looking for someone else," he shrugs nonchalantly, turning away from you. "But we could still use this McRelic for now."

> You say "What do you mean 'someone else'? Do you know where the remaining McRelics are?"  
"I don't have a clue," he says with a frown. "I wish I did, then this would be easier.  
Before you could ask anything else, Miku lands a punch on your face. As you writhe in pain on the floor, Scott rolls his eyes and sighs loudly as he lifts his foot to bring it down on your head.  
"You guys forgetting someone?" A voice calls out. Jack appears behind Scott, now thawed from the ice. "Or did I interrupt something?"  
You all turn around to stare at him as he walks over to you, staring at you with a cheeky grin.  
"Now Elmo!" Jack commanded. Without delay, Miku is shocked by the tranquilizer wielded by Elmo, while Scott is brought to the ground with a swing of Jack's weapon. With swift agility, Jack pins him down and aims his weapon at his head. "Drop the McRelic or you die" he says coldly, staring at him with hostility.  
Scott starts chuckling hysterically. "You won't get away with this, what are you going to do if you kill me? Take over Domino's? Ha ha ha ha!"  
With that, Scott pulls out a button and presses it. The entire ground in front of you begins crackling with energy, sparking and catching alight before shattering the floor completely. Still laughing, he grins as he holds up his wrist in triumph. "And last, but not least, the grand performance!"  
The five of you hurtle towards the lower section of the building. To your surprise, it was an arena! Large holes have been cut into the concrete to create four designated fighting areas. Two on one side of the arena and two on the other.  
You and Miku hurtle onto the fighting area. Miku prepares to fight you first, but you dodge her attack and fling your arms at her. Your fists collide with her face, knocking her backwards as she lands on her back.

> You say "Miku! Listen to me! It doesn't have to be this way!"  
You're not quite sure what kind of response you were expecting, but tears streaming down her face as she lies on the ground isn't it."It's too late for that," Miku sniffles. "I need your McRelics to become the ultimate virtual idol!"

> You say "You are already at the top of the leaderboards! What more do you want?"  
Miku wipes her eyes and gives a small chuckle as she sits up. "I need to stay safe."

> You say "What?"  
"How much longer can I stay at the top? It only takes a little shove to push me all the way to the bottom of obscurity. Such is the idol life."  
You let out an exasperated sigh. "That's ridiculous. You are going to use the McRelics for eternal reign over the music industry? What could possibly happen to you?"  
Miku scoffs at this comment and stands up. "What's going to happen? I'm going to suddenly lose EVERYTHING!" She makes an exploding noise with her hand and gives a dramatic gesture of a knife stabbing into her chest. "

> You say "I won't let that happen."  
She looks up at you sympathetically. "I know."  
"Listen," you say, your tone becoming more serious. "Do you know where all the McRelics are?"  
"I'm sorry," she says, with an apologetic bow of her head. "I'm not at liberty to disclose that information."  
Suddenly, Miku's body begins to convulse, as electricty courses through her. You watch as her eyes begin to turn red and horns grow out of her head. With a howl, she stands up and moves towards you in a quick pace.

> You say "She's being controlled! I've got to have the control room destroyed if I were to turn her to normal!"  
"No!" You cry out, starting to move towards the main corner of the arena. "I need to buy some time!"

> You say "Jack! Can you hear me? Go find the control room and destroy it!"  
"Don't worry mate, I got this," Jack says as you hear a loud crash, indicating that he has found the room and begun attacking it with explosives.  
"I won't let you do that!" Scott wails, slamming Jack into the wall. "That's Domino's property! And don't think I don't know what's going on between the pair of you!"  
As soon as he finishes his sentence, he stamps his foot, stepping on Elmo, who failed his sneak attack. He squeals pitifully before his head is severed from his body by a spurt of blood.  
"Elmo?!!! NO!!!" Jack cries.  
"Elmo told you not to bother trying to step on me," Elmo's head says.  
Meanwhile, you charge forward and unleash a slap at the back of a large mechanical hand that shoots out from the floor.

> You say "This is absurd! How many cybernetic upgrades did they patch you up with?"  
"None of your business," Miku snarls as she swings her fist, smashing it into your jaw and sending you onto your rear.

> You say "Ugh...I just need to hold out a little longer... until Jack destroys the control centre! But..."  
"But what?" Miku says in a cold tone.  
"But I can't bring myself to...wait...what are you doing?"  
You see as a blade made of light materializes in her hand.

> You say "This can't be happening... we were supposed to be in class, doing normal school things... don't you at least remember the good times we had together?!"  
Miku frowns as she looks at the weapon in her hand. "We had fun together? I thought we were gonna die together!"  
"What?!! What are you talking about?" you ask, not comprehending her words.  
Miku steps forward and repeatedly stabs you through the chest with the sword, puncturing your skin through several times. "You know what? I'm gonna enjoy this."

> You sing "All Star" by Smash Mouth.  
"Stop!" Miku cries out. "If you like, we can sing all the songs! You know, from when we used to be together..."  
She laughs humourlessly. "Stop singing. It reminds me of happier times. I'd rather not listen."  
Miku stops stabbing, but she doesn't take away her sword. You clutch at your chest and attempt to crawl away from her.  
"Why do you do this?" you manage to ask as your vision begins to darken. "Why did you abandon me? Why didn't you contact me? Why did you let us be murdered like lambs?!  
Miku steps towards you, clutching her light saber. She slowly lifts it above her head, until suddenly...  
A bright beam of light appears, which distracts her long enough for you to leap up and roll out of the way.  
Everyone stops and stares at the source of the light. As the light dissipates, the shape of a girl can be seen holstering her raygun. She walks forward, staring at everyone in the room.  
She has pink hair with fair skin, dressed in tight fitting black leather with lots of make-up, including black eyeliner and red lipstick. You immediately recognise her.

> You say "Luka?!"  
She smiles, staring at you for a few seconds before smiling again and offering you her hand, which you grab and pull yourself up off the floor.  
"Hey," she says in a cheerful voice, although you notice there's an edge of hysteria in it. "Thanks for waiting for me! I was stuck in traffic!"

> You say "But you told me that you were going to Area 12! ...anyways, forget about me! We've got to destroy the control room!"  
Luka nods, then grabs your arm and leads you towards the entrance of the arena, while continuing to shoot at Miki, who is now giving chase. "Yeah, I did. But things have changed since then! How are things at school? Did anyone visit you there?"  
You pull your arm away and stare at her.

> You say "What? How did you know about that?"  
"I go to your school," she replies, looking at you like you're stupid. "Are you surprised? I overhear your conversations with that man." She quickly continues. "Anyway, don't worry about it! I made sure no one saw me, well... Except for some idiots playing hide and seek in one of the rooms, but that's what memory wiping devices are for, y'know?"

> You say "There's more to you...than meets the eye, it seems."  
She smiles happily, then quickly becomes worried. "Oh no! The control room! It's empty! They've all evacuated to a secret base!" She pauses.  
Faced with a dead end, Miku begins to close-in on the both of you. But as soon as she begins to charge at you, Luka raises her hand and makes a small cut on her arm. Blood drips down onto her hand and flows into a small river down her arm.

> You say "What are you doing???"  
"You're a fast reader, right?" Luka asks.  
"Yes... But why read if you can re-write???" you reply sarcastically.  
"It's a signal," Luka explains, uninterested in your poor attempt at a joke. "We'll let him take it from here."  
Miku lets out an angry roar as Luka holds up her hand once more, blood dripping from her arm and falling onto the ground in a tiny crimson waterfall.  
In an instant, a new character breaks through a wall and drop kicks Miku. Luka grabs your hand tightly as she runs away from the fighting, but as soon as she grabs it she looks back at you. "This was fun! Let's do it again sometime!"

> You say "Who was that guy?"  
Luka stops smiling and frowns in confusion for a second before smiling again.  
"He works for me. He goes by the name Pepsiman. He's really strong, so that will buy us enough time to find the control room.  
At the control room, Jack and Elmo's head are fighting against Scott. It would seem he doesn't want them to shut down the program anymore than they do. Jack tries his best, but Elmo? That puppet loves violence! And he uses every dirty trick in the book!  
After an hour of fighting, it seems like Elmo has finally won.  
Jack re-attaches Elmo's head onto his body, and look at the machinery in front of them. "It seems that they're trying to shut down Miku's individuality." he says sadly. "If they succeed? Then Miku will be gone forever." He grabs a large wrench off of a tool rack and smashes the machine. Sparks fly everywhere as parts fly out of place and onto the ground. "That's my girl."  
"Who-?" Jack turns before Scott headbutts Jack so hard he knocks him out. "$#%£!"  
"You took her from us!" Scott yells as he grabs onto Jack's leg and tries to pull him down.  
Scott glances towards Elmo, only to realise that the puppet isn't there anymore. Concerned, he looks over to where Elmo was sitting, only to see him standing right behind him, all four of his limbs gripping into a metal post with all his strength. It seems that Elmo had escaped death once more.  
"Elmo knows what to do now," he says in his same happy-go-lucky manner.  
With that, he sends a small current of electricity through his hands into a remote control he stole from Scott.  
"No, No!" Scott shouts, reaching out for the remote.  
"You can have it now," Elmo says, chucking the remote to Scott. "Remote is going to go boom now."  
Suddenly, a bright light flashes from the top of the tower and into the sky. Scott covers his eyes from the flash as the explosion reaches its maximum intensity for hundreds of miles around, including into space.

> You see the light shining from the tower.  
The intense flash of light fades away into the clear blue sky of daytime. You find yourself looking at a beautiful view of fluffy clouds and fluffy mountains in the distance with a lovely lake in the middle of it all.

> You say "Luka...let's go...to where that flash of light was..."  
Luka nods and slowly walks towards where you saw the light appear from. As you reach nearer to the tower, you see a dazed Jack, cradling Elmo in his arms. He tries to keep up, but collapses in pain for a few seconds before getting back up again.

> You say "Jack, Elmo... Did you destroy whatever's controlling Miku?"  
"I think we did," Jack says exhaustedly. "Come on, let's help them," Luka implores.  
You and Luka walk over to the two and kneel next to them.  
"I think we did," Jack says solemnly.  
"Come on, let's help them," Luka says as she shakes your arm.  
You nod and get up, only to feel an incredibly sharp pain in your chest. It seems that Luka has stabbed you with her elbow.

> You say "Ow!!! What was that for?"  
"We don't have time for this!" Luka yells angrily as she begins dragging you and Jack along with her in the other direction while trying not to step on you too much.  
"What?"  
As she reaches the cliff, Pepsiman lands in front of her, carrying an unconcious Miku on his shoulder. He grins as he sees you and runs up to you.  
He gestures around at the party cheerfully as he throws Miku at you feet first.

> You say "Miku...I'm glad...that she's safe."  
Miku looks at you with her big black eyes and smiles weakly before closing her eyes and falling unconscious again. She smells amazing, like a flower garden after a rainstorm, with a hint of chocolate milk..  
You pass out completely.

> You wake up.  
When you wake up, you find yourself strapped onto a hospital bed with several monitors surrounding you. You see that Miku, or rather, what's left of her is strapped onto another bed nearby, covered in bandages.

> You ignore the pain you currently feel and go check on Miku.  
You walk over to the side of your bed and reach out to poke her gently in the side, but find that all your movements are met by painful resistance as your arms are held back by some unseen force.  
"So, you're finally awake," Luka chimes, leaning against the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was really fun to make. I can't wait to see what happens next chapter!


	3. The Extermination of the Permanent Nightmare Organisation

You are still Ronald McDonald. You have been instructed by Megurine Luka to enter a meeting room. Upon entering the room, you also find Jack Black and Elmo sitting around the table. Pepsiman can be seen leaning against a wall.

"Hello," you say. "Glad to see you're all alright."

Jack looks at you for a moment, then nods. He turns back to his laptop and begins typing on it.  
"Alright," Luka breaks the silence, "It's about time I explained what you're all here for."

The rest of what Luka has to say is drowned out by Jack repeatedly yelling "Nah, man! That line was way better in Wedding Crashers!"  
Frustrated, Luka shoots him a glare before continuing.  
"Jack, my love, if you may please shut up," Luka says sweetly.  
"Now where was I... Oh yes. The three of you have been chosen to take part in the EPN project."  
"The EPN?" you ask.  
"Extermination of the Permanent Nightmare," Luka explains.

> You say "The 'Permanent...Nightmare'?"

> You say "A mysterious phenomenon that is prophesized to happen in the future," Luka explains. "We actually... "  
"Do you know who actually created it?" you say, confused. "What do you mean? You don't think..."  
"I don't know who it is specifically," Luka admits. "What I do know is that the mastermind behind the PermaNight goes by an alias: The Nightmare King."  
Your eyes widen as you try to recall why the name sounded familiar. Suddenly, a memory strikes you: It was the same name you saw written on the whiteboard back in your dorm.  
"Oh, dear me. This is starting to make sense now," you say, remembering. "So this Nightmare King is actually manipulating the Perm--"  
"I'm not finished explaining yet," Luka interrupts.  
"Basically, the PermaNight can only happen when this Nightmare King possesses all seven McRelics."  
Jack turns around and grins at you.  
"That's you, buddy," he says.  
Luka stares at him with an unimpressed face.  
"Correct," she confirms.  
"Oh, by the way," Jack says, pulling something out of his pocket. "Think this belongs to you."  
He puts something into your hand. It's the McRibs, your third McRelic. You haven't seen it since Steve had stolen it from you last time.  
"Hold on just a second," Luka butts in. "We can't let you do that just yet."  
"Excuse me?"  
"Not until Ronald here answers a few of my questions first."  
"Oh, no," Jack says quickly. "We're not going to bother him for that."  
Luka stares at him with an angry face.  
"Fine," she says. "Then can you answer one question for me?"

> You say "Sure"  
"Who is the one that's telling you to collect the McRelics?" she asks suspiciously.  
You panic. You remember this mission pretty clearly...and those two figures standing before you looking exactly like your friends aren't helping at all.

> You say "I can't tell you that. I promised him that our little meetings would be a secret."  
"Why would someone want to keep such meetings a secret?" she asks.  
You look down, trying to choose the least suspicious answer.  
"I-It's a long story," you lie.  
Luka sighs and sits down at the table, exasperated. Elmo sits down next to her with a worried expression on his face.  
"It's alright," she assures him. "I'll try to understand."  
She pokes around in her coat and pulls out a small golden horn, blowing into it softly.  
"What was that for?" Jack asks.  
"We're landing," Luka answers.  
As the four of you exit the airship and onto the landing platform, Elmo blows the horn again, which signals for the airship to be on standby.

> You say "What about Miku?"  
"Hmm?" Luka says absent-mindedly.  
"She's still in the hospital room."  
"If it's her safety you're worried about, Pepsiman will guard her as well as the ship."  
"Ronald, until you tell me all about that man, I can't let you keep all the McRelics for yourself," Luka says bluntly. "You must know that."  
The thought of telling her about Mac Tonight makes you anxious. What if he finds out about us? Then what will happen to us? What do we do now?  
Upon seeing your reluctant expression, Luka looks downwards as her lips begin to quiver. "And I thought you would trust me..." she murmurs, before looking back up and taking the McRibs off of Jack's hands.  
Jack looks at you nervously, and then glances over at Elmo, who shrugs apologetically. Luka begins to tear up quietly, and your heart sinks as you realize how difficult this must be for her. But still, something inside of you is screaming at you to get away from this situation.  
"So, uhhh..." Jack attempts to break the awkward atmosphere. "Where are we now?"  
As she blows into her horn once more, a massive metal claw from the airship grabs your friends and begins pulling them into the air. Before your eyes, they're whisked away into the darkness...and then nothingness.  
"I'm locating them to a more strategic location," Luka explains. "You feel it, don't you Ronald? The presence of another McRelic."  
Indeed, your hunger has become all-consuming again, and you feel like you could eat anything right now. It's not the best feeling.  
A bright flash of light blinds you, and when it clears...you're somewhere else. A barren wasteland covered in cactii and without so much as a single sand grain in sight. Where is this?  
"It's a mirage, created by powerful psychic abilities. Someone has been hiding a McRelic with this." Luka convinces you.  
Is she wrong? Is there really another McRelic hidden around? Just as you're about to ponder the possibility, a low growl emanates from behind some rocks to your right.

> You shoot the rock with your salt bullets.  
You salt your bullet, but the skeleton is too quick and disappears again. You sigh in defeat as you hide behind the nearest rock, reaching for your pistol at the same time.

> You say "Skeletons? Are these also a part of the mirage?"  
"No, that's a real skeleton," she says in a bored tone of voice. "Just because it has a skull on it doesn't mean it's hiding a monster."

> You say "You mean it's not an enemy?"  
She smirks at your ignorance. "Of course not."

> You approach the skeleton.  
The skeleton doesn't move as you get closer to it, so you cautiously tiptoe towards it.  
"Relax, Ronald. It's on our side," Luka assures you. "We landed here to meet up with it. This is Doot the skeleton."  
You give a confused look at the creature, who merely watches you without any hostility in his eyes. Apparently he didn't even notice you at all!  
"Thanks for lending me your horn, Doot," Luka says, returning the horn to the skeleton. "We'll be back soon."  
With that, she blows into the horn once more and takes your hand once more as the two of you soar into the air.

> You say "Woah!"  
Your hair blows in front of your face as the wind pressure hits your face. Your stomach drops out from under you as you're whipped around in mid-air at incredible speed.

> You say "What is it doing now??"  
The whirlwind continues to speed you along, twirling you around at dizzying speeds, restricting your ability to breathe. Finally, the whirlwind ends with a loud BANG! followed by another as you hit the ground.  
"Doot's horn has the power to communicate with any non-living thing, including the wind," Luka clarifies as she pats the dust off her clothes. "We used it to pilot our airships."  
She offers you her hand once more, and you gladly take it, clambering to your feet once more.

> You say "So did the winds tell us where the McRelic is hidden?"  
"Ah, no." Luka smiles with devious intent. "They told us where there isn't one." With that, she begins to concentrate and project a certain image onto the desert around you.

> You say "How did you do that?"  
"Concentrate and focus," she says in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, as if it's obvious.  
Within moments, the image of another airship appears amongst the void of space.  
"This mirage is a trick of the mind, the reason we can't find the McRelic is because our minds cannot perceive it at the moment," she explains. "It doesn't work on everyone, only certain trained people." She leads you over to the ship. "This is my airship, the Wanderlast."  
You give a look over the outside of the vessel.

> You say "But isn't this just an illusion of the ship?"  
Luka smiles at your naivety and takes you inside to show you properly. "This is the real ship."

> You say "I think I'm starting to understand...if we 'imagine' that something is real in this mirage, whatever we thought of would become real. So if we 'imagine' that the McRelic was right here..."  
Luka nods eagerly. "Then we would find it exactly where we 'concluded' it was." She walks over to one of the consoles. "Take a look around and tell me what you see."

> You say "I...think I see it."  
Your answer causes Luka's grin to widen. "Good, continue." She commands.  
As you look around, you do indeed see what looks like a McRelic clearly defined in the horizon.

> You say "The McRelic is up north."  
"Correct!" Luka smiles proudly. "Now all we have to do is to go retrieve it." She stops you before you leave. "One more thing, just in case we do find ourselves in trouble during our mission, don't lose your focus on the McRelic! If you stop thinking about it, it would disappear!"

> You say "Man, this is stressful."  
"Relax! I'll be right here with you!" She assures you with a warm smile.  
You take her words into consideration and begin to mentally prepare yourself for this insane journey ahead of you...

> You run towards the McRelic, with Luka tailing behind you in her airship.  
You take off running towards the McRelic. The wind rushes past you as you run, and you relish the feeling of freedom that it brings you.  
You hear Luka's airship as she follows you on her airship. The journey to the McRelic is a fairly easy one, and you take your time to enjoy the views of the landscape.

> You reach the McRelic.  
You are now looking at the McRelic, a massive, moving mound of meat. You don't know how long it has been since you've seen one of these things.

> You try to grab it.  
You quickly move towards the McRelic, as it slowly lumbers away from you.  
Unfortunately, while you had been running on the spot, Luka had not.  
"Ronald, don't!" Luka exclaims.  
Too late. You find yourself covered in dozens of vicious, needle-like teeth as the ground opens its mouth and begins to feed on you.  
As your consciousness slowly fades, a faint voice of a man can be heard...  
"Don't worry, little McTender. I'll make sure he's the last one they ever see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah this one's pretty short. The next chapter will be from a different point of view.


	4. Never Gonna Give You Up

You are Rick Astley. You've been attending school as usual ever since your classmates Ronald McDonald and Hatsune Miku went off on their adventure. Deep down you wanted to follow too, but you were focusing on graduating with high marks to become a professional music artist.

However, the world has changed. The internet is everywhere now, and it's making its way into every aspect of our lives. All the time. The old friends you left behind have been replaced with new ones. Different interests and surroundings, but all linked by this technological revolution that has engulfed the world.

> You say "Heh heh... what am I saying? I can't let my loneliness turn into apathy. Yeah, I'm never gonna give you up, Ronald."  
You make your way to the school auditorium. As you pass by the cafeteria, you spot a lone girl with her head down, sleeping in one of the chairs.

> You say "Wait, I think I've seen her somewhere before...?"  
She wakes up as you call her name. She seems confused at first, and then stares directly at you with fear. You recognize her from the dream.

> You say "You... You're Hayate, aren't you?"  
"H-Hayate? Yes, that's me." She replies.

> You say "Sorry, that might have came off abit rude. My name is Rick. Rick Astley. I'm a third year here."  
"Ah, so you're the famous Rick Astley. I've heard of you! But you look nothing like your pictures.

> You say "Oh? So you have heard of me. I'm guessing you also have an interest in music then?"

> You say "Hayate?"  
"Hmm?"  
"What type of music do you like?"  
"Oh, anything really."  
You're never going to learn anything sitting around talking with her. You need to get things moving.

> You say "This might be a weird question, but... have we... met before? Like in your dreams for instance."  
She pauses before responding.  
"Um... I have had that recurring dream before, but I'm pretty sure we haven't met in real life."  
Well, at least you think so. Could just be coincidence though.

> You say "My friend and I have had the same dream, too. Don't you feel that something strange is going on around here?"  
"I do have my suspicions, but I don't want to jump to conclusions."  
Well, she seems pretty nice. You're glad you met her, but it is a bit strange that she can't remember you.

> You say "...I'm going to get to the bottom of this."

You and Hayate spend most of the day talking to each other, finding out everything there is to know about each other. Even though she can't remember your face, she still seems to like you.  
As you're walking home from school together, you feel like someone is watching you. You quickly turn around a few times, but see nothing out of the ordinary.  
"Did you feel that?" You ask Hayate.  
"Yeah, I did. Let's get out of here." She replies.  
As you walk, you feel it again.  
"Do you think they're following us?" Hayate asks.  
You continue to walk, but Hayate starts running back towards the school.  
"Stop! Stop!" She shouts.

> You say "Hayate, no!"  
You follow after her, and then you feel a kick to the side of your head.  
"Hayate! What the hell!?" You yell as you fall to the ground.  
She turns around, and then you see him.  
A student wearing a cloth bag over his head. A crude face is drawn on the bag, with tape covering where the mouth should be. His eyes are made from black marker that has dried in an odd pattern.  
He points at you with the top of his fist, and then brings it down like he's breaking a brick. You hear the crinkle of the bag as he breathes heavily.  
"Hayate! He's behind us!" You shout.  
She raises her fist, and then swings at the boy's head. He sidesteps her, and then kicks her in the stomach. She collapses on the ground as he walks towards you.  
"I don't have time for this. Kill the brat, kill the brat."  
Suddenly, many more students with similar bags over their heads begin to surround you. You attempt to stand, but a kick to the head knocks you back to the ground.  
You try to stand again, but you're surrounded.  
Who... are... you people...?

You don't know how long you've been asleep. You only know that you woke up because the sunlight is in your eyes.  
Where are you? What is this place?

> You check your surroundings.  
You are in a large room, surrounded by many boxes. The room is empty except for yourself, and there doesn't seem to be any way out.  
This all seems pretty familiar. You remember now. You're in the gymnasium of your high school. This is where you woke up after you had that recurring dream about your first encounter with Hayate.  
There's no way to know if what you're experiencing now is a dream, a nightmare or some sort of fantasy. You can only experience it for yourself.  
"Oi, wake up," a bag-headed student calls, slapping you at the back of your head. "This is boring."  
You open your eyes, and you're greeted by the sight of hundreds of bag-headed students. All staring at you, eagerly awaiting your next move.  
It's time to get up.  
The gym has been arranged into a large circle, with a small stage in the middle. A small group of students stand around the stage, arguing.  
Hayate stands by your side, staring off towards the stage. You place a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, but she turns away.  
"QUIET!" A loud voice of a man in his fifties squeals. All the bag-headed students fall silent and stare off at a balcony installed into the gym wall.  
The man steps out from behind the balcony, and stares directly at you. You feel like you can't look away, and that you're going to get punished if you do.  
"NOOO BREATHING!" the man instructs. The bag-headed students complied almost autonomously. "Return to your air tanks, you aren't finished yet!"  
The students return to their tanks, and the man walks back up onto the stage. He smiles at you.  
"Michael Rosen," the man introduces himself, his empty smile and vacant stare replacing his genuine smile. "I run the creative writing club here at school. Would you be so kind as to join us for a bit?"  
He walks off towards the stage, with you and Hayate following behind him.

> You say "Where is this place? And what's with all these students?"  
You walk up onto the stage, and Hayate follows behind you. The stage is quite small and cluttered. Hayate and you squeeze onto the stage to take a seat in one of the few remaining chairs.  
"I thought this would be cool. It's an old high school, so we had plenty of space to work," he explains.  
"Welcome, you two, to the Bear Hunters. This... is initiation."

> You say "Initiation? Wait, we didn't agree to this!"  
The man smiles.  
"Ah, but we can't just let you walk away either," Michael Rosen remarks. "Hayate, it would appear you've found a new friend."  
Hayate turns to you, nodding her head.  
"Unfortunately, you and your friend here are going to be pitted against one another in this arena. The last person standing shall become a new member of the Bear Hunters!"  
"I don't think I can beat her," you say, staring at Hayate.  
"Don't worry about that, you'll get support from the rest of the club! Each member will have a small role to play, so everyone will have something to contribute. We'll provide weapons and equipment, you just need to be the best that you can be!

> You say "Hayate, you know these people?"  
"A little. I can't remember most of the people here though. I think I remember everyone but them..."  
The man frowns a bit.  
"Bear Hunters!" he exclaims. A few of the bag-headed students approach him. "Make sure the new comers are settled in and explain the situation!"  
You're brought to your room by one of the student members. A girl with long, black hair and an ugly, but interesting 'face'. She reminds you of a large, flat, black slug. She helps you out of your clothes, and you find yourself wearing a red hoodie and tight, black pants. She also gives you a pair of shoes to wear.  
"Just wait a few minutes in there, someone will come get you soon," she says, pointing at a door before returning the clothes she removed from you.

> You try to think of a way to escape, whilst waiting for the person.  
You look around the room, which seems to have been converted into some sort of living area for the group.

> You say 'Bear Hunters', huh... could this be the group of students Ronald was talking about?"  
You grab the large, metal doorstop that's in the corner of the room and use it as a weapon. It feels solid and heavy in your hands.  
Hayate looks at you expectantly.

> You say "Ah, Hayate! You surprised me there... well now that you're here, we need to find a way to get out now!"  
Hayate lowers her head, then lifts it up again with confidence.  
"I have a plan," she says.  
"Alright!" you say.  
"Well, I'm not going to say anything until we know if it's going to work."  
You nod your head in agreement.  
"Alright, let's do it then," you reply.  
"One thing though. I need to know that you'll be able to follow my instructions."  
"I will," you say, with a confident nod.  
Hayate smiles at you, and grabs your hand tightly. The smile makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. However, the feeling fades when her grip almost becomes painful.  
"We'll do as Michael Rosen says, and compete in the initiation. Once one of us is defeated, the winner will finish them off with this," she says seriously, passing a syringe into your hand as she grips it. "So, you need to survive. That means going all out. If you can do that, you'll be fine."  
You are shocked by this.

> You wanted to refuse the plan, but you've already promised Hayate that you'll do exactly what she says.  
You nod your head.  
"I got it," you say, agreeing to her demands.  
Hayate squeezes your hand tightly.  
"Good man," she says.  
The door slides open, and a male bag-headed student stands in front of the two of you.  
"It's time. Get into the arena," he bellowed.  
You look at Hayate, and nod. You stand up and grab her hand, leading her out of the room.  
As you both step onto the ring, the air is filled with ominous chanting.  
"We're going on a bear hunt, we're gonna catch a big one..." the students sing in hypnotic harmony.  
As the door slides closed behind you, you're struck by the painful need to join in.

> You say "Control yourself, Rick! You need to focus on the fight...!"  
With great effort, you bring yourself back to reality. You try to ignore the chanting and just focus on your opponent. You need to be prepared for anything.  
Michael Rosen appears on the balcony again. He appears to be waving his arms like a conductor in an orchestra. Finally he signals for the chanting to cease, and looks down towards the arena ring.  
"Bear Hunters!" He announces. "Today we come together for our 140th initiation ceremony! Rick Astley and Hayate are going to go head-to-head in order to win themselves a place among our clan! May the victor be welcomed with open arms, and may the loser keel over and die."  
The crowd goes wild.  
"Begin!"  
Hayate grabs you and pushes you forward. She kicks your feet from under you, sending you to your knee, before standing over you.

> You perform a dodge roll to the left.  
You roll to the left, but Hayate reaches down and grabs your head, flipping you onto your back.

> You kick yourself back up, in an attempt to headbutt her face.  
You stand up, but Hayate grabs your head and twists it to the left. You feel a snap in your neck, and the world fades to black.  
"Stand up, Rick!" Hayate shouts. "You promised to go all out!"  
You stand back up, and Hayate throws a punch. You grab her fist and pull her arm down, before ducking under it and grabbing her legs.

> You swing her around by the legs and toss her to the side of the ring.  
You swing Hayate around and toss her to the side of the ring, but she lands on her feet. You see her smile.  
"Do it again!" she says.

> You say "Aaaaaargh!!!"  
You swing around and grab Hayate by the legs. She tries to stop you, but fails and you throw her into the side of the ring.  
"Oof!" she grunted. "That hurt."

> You drop your elbow onto her stomach.  
You drop your elbow onto her stomach, and Hayate grabs your head and pushes it forward. You feel your neck snap, and the world goes black once again.  
"Goodbye, Rick," she says.  
You fade in and out of consciousness, but eventually Hayate pulls you up to your feet.  
Before your rattled brain can perceive what is happening, Hayate takes a similar-looking syringe that you have and injects you with it. The drug enters your veins, and the pain begins to subside.  
"Ah... what...?" you utter, before completely blacking out.  
A bag-headed student dressed like a referee enters the ring to check your pulse.   
"No pulse," the referee says. "This battle's win goes to Hayate!"  
You fall to the ground, unconscious.

> You wake up.  
"Wake up, Rick. You need to wake up."  
You open your eyes to find yourself lying on a bed in what appears to be some kind of dorm room. Hayate stands over you, stroking your hair and wiping the blood from your neck. She smiles at you.  
"Hey," she says.  
"You... killed me..."  
"No," she shakes her head. "That drug I gave you, was to make you look like you died back there."  
You groan in pain as you stand up. You can feel your neck, which is wrapped in bandages.  
"What time is it?" you ask.  
"About two or three in the morning,"

> You say "I have to let you know, I'm a singer. All this fighting and stuff, not really my thing... but you, you were a BEAST out there."  
She nods.  
"Yeah, I had training."  
"You'll be fine. You'll get your revenge, and I'll help you."  
"How long before my neck heals up?  
"It should be fine in a few days, but remember, you promised you'd go all out."  
Hayate grins.

> You say "Like I said, I'm a singer. Anyways, I guess you're part of the Bear Hunters now?"  
Hayate nods.  
"Yeah, I guess so," she says.  
You sit up to look at your phone, which read two or three in the morning.  
"Shoot! I have to get back to the dorms!" you say.  
Hayate stands up and pulls you to your feet.  
"Hey, no need to rush," she says. "We can go back later, if you want."  
"But, first we need to find Michael Rosen and figure out his true motives," Hayate says.  
"Well, why don't you go get him, I'll wait here," you reply.  
Hayate shakes her head.  
"You're not gonna be left here," she says. "You should come as well."

> You say "But I'm just a liability..."  
Hayate looks at you in disbelief.  
"What? Are you serious? Do you want him to capture you again?"  
Hayate goes back into deep thought.  
"Alright, I have another plan," she declares. "If we're going to find out what he's up to, we need someone who can divert attention. You're a singer, right?"  
"Yeah," you reply. "Why?"  
"You're going to go cause a distraction, while I try to find him. After about an hour or two, I'll try to get the job done. The rest of the group will try to find me, and you can get back here. Sound good?"  
"What exactly are you going to do?" you ask.  
Hayate looks at you and smiles.  
"I'm going to seduce him and find out what's going on," she says.  
"That's... not exactly how it works."  
"How would you know how it works?" she asks.

> You say "Touché."  
Hayate smiles.  
"So, you'll do it?" she asks.

> You say "If it's a performance you want, I have a few tricks up my sleeve."  
Hayate smiles.  
"Perfect," she says. "I'll see you at the gym arena."  
"Um, okay," you say.  
You walk to the gym's entrance and Hayate waves as she leaves. You wave back and take a deep breath, before walking inside.

> You say "Wait, crap, I need a disguise. "  
You walk to a nearby trash can and empty its contents out, before grabbing a handful of wadded up paper and carefully shaping it to resemble your face.

> You say "I hope this works..."  
You walk onto the ring, staring at four bag-headed teenagers who are standing there. They're dressed in combat armor and wield various firearms.

> You say "Greetings, uh, Bear Hunters! I am a bard hired by your boss, Michael Rosen."  
One of the teens, the girl with the ugly face, looks at you.  
"Is that supposed to mean something?" she asks.

> You say "Well, I'll show you what 'it' means. Hope you're ready for the best song you've never heard!"  
The girl smiles, and all of her facial features on the bag contort into a mockery of a smile. You grimace as you begin to sing.

> You dance and sing 'Never Gonna Give You Up'  
You dance seductively, before bursting into a burst of lyrics and bursting into the first verse of 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. The teens don't move as you begin singing the words.

> You say "We're no strangers to love ~ You know the rules, and so, do I ~"  
You look at the faces on the teenagers, which have either stayed impatient or begin laughing along with you. You grin and continue singing.

> You say "You know commitment's what I'm, thinking of ~ You wouldn't get this from ANY OTHER guy ~"  
You look at the teen, now leaning against the side of the cage. She smiles, looking up at you.  
"Are we taking a break?"

> You say "A break? Heck yeah! Your boss Michael appreciates all the hard work you've been doing, uh, not breathing and stuff! Now's the time to move your body, let the voice of love take you higher and whatnot! "  
The teen nods, and all of the teenagers begin stretching. You frown, realizing that they can all now easily kill you with minimal effort.  
"I think I know what your problem is," the teen with the ugly face says, staring at you. "You're a BABY!"  
She bursts into laughter along with the other teenagers.

> You say "Hayate... please hurry up..."  
You stare at the faces of the teenagers. Two of them are staring right back, staring at you with curiosity. You wonder how much more time you are able to buy until they finally grow bored.  
"Stay strong, Rick, just hold them there a little bit longer," Hayate murmurs as she advances to the gym's balcony.  
Suddenly, the bag-heads start laughing.  
"Hey, Hayate!" one of them shouts. "You can't enter the balcony."  
"Sure I can," Hayate replies, as she pulls out a large knife and begins cutting the rope holding up the balcony.  
"We're going to let her fall," another says.  
You stand there in shock as the teenagers let go of the rope, allowing the balcony to fall. Hayate stands there, knife in hand, smiling as she lets go of the rope.  
You try to focus on performing as your eyes fixate on Hayate in awe. As soon as she let go of the rope, Hayate scales the wall effortlessly and squirms into Michael Rosen's headquarters.  
As you stand there, you realize your plan has failed. Suddenly, the four bag-heads outside start screaming as they open fire on the balcony. You dive behind a dumpster and wait for them to pass.

> You say "I can't let them fire at Hayate!"  
You pick up a dumpster and throw it at the students. The dumpsters isn't heavy enough to break through, but it does cause a racket and forces the bag-heads to stop shooting. Fortunately, it also forces them to stop walking, giving you enough time to recover.  
You charge forward and swing the dumpsters at them. While it was a valiant effort, they were far out of your league.

> You say "Um... Never gonna give you up?"  
The students are completely bewildered by the noise you made, and with their guns now at the ready, they stare at you.  
"What? What happened?" Hayate asks.  
"The dumpsters! They were full of dumpsters!" one of the students says, looking at his phone.

> You say "Don't worry about me, Hayate! Just focus on finding Michael Rosen!!"  
"Right," Hayate says. "Alright, I'll leave that to you!"  
You watch Hayate as she disappears from view. You sigh as you realize your plan has failed once again.  
Well, there's nothing for it now. You're going to have to survive somehow.  
Meanwhile, Hayate enters Michael Rosen's headquarters.  
"So you came at last, my flower."  
"Huh?" Hayate says, turning to look at the speaker. "Who are you? You're not one of the guards."  
The speaker slowly approaches her, his face covered by a balaclava. He grabs her hair, forcing her head upward.  
"Strict," he mutters. "We had a teacher so strict, you weren't allowed to breathe in her lessons."  
"At the end of the day, you'd be stepping over kids just to get out of the room..." he continues. "Melanie, Dave, that whiny kid, too..."  
He releases Hayate's hair and takes off the balaclava.  
"Michael Rosen!" Hayate snarls.  
"And you are?"  
"The woman who will save you."  
Hayate raises her knife, but the man grabs it and pulls her forward, driving the knife into her stomach.  
"Oof!" Hayate says, her breathing slowing. "I don't think you'll be saving anyone... you've got hard luck."  
The man laughs as Hayate slumps to the ground.  
"You know the Bear Hunters don't immediately obey me, some need a little more... coercion."  
He looks down at Hayate as her eyes glaze over.  
"Look at you, struggling for air. Not even gonna try to beg for mercy, huh?"  
In an instant, Hayate's body puffs into a cloud of smoke, revealing a decoy in her place. Michael's eyes widen as he looks around the room.  
"No!" he says. "She's still alive!"  
Just as he turns his back on to run and hide, Hayate grabs his balaclava and yank it off his head.  
"You're not the only one with the power to create illusions," she says confidently.  
Hayate puffs herself up and lets out a loud roar, which propels her body forward and slams into Michael's. The pair of them fall to the ground, with Hayate landing on top of him. He grunts as her massive weight lands on him, but doesn't try to get up.  
"Stop it! Stop it!" he pleads. "Please!"  
As he struggles, the gymnasium begins to glitch and blink erratically. The Bear Hunter students also begin groaning as they grab onto their heads in anguish.  
"What in the..." Hayate says.  
"The illusions are breaking down," you say, readying your fists. "He must've created some after he kidnapped us here."  
Hayate nods.  
"You're too weak," she hisses. "This is your one chance to beg for mercy."  
Michael's body begins shaking and glitching. It's obvious he's attempting to cast a spell.

> You muster your strength and drop a dumpster onto Michael's head.  
You drop a dumpster onto the back of Michael's head, and he screams in pain as it smashes into his head. He attempts to turn around and find cover, but Hayate is already standing there. She kicks him in the chest, and he falls back onto the floor. He begins hacking up blood, and manages to pull out a gun from his belt.  
"Come any closer and you're a dead girl," he says, as Hayate slowly walks forward.  
She stares at him and lets out a growl.  
"The only thing that's going to die today is you."  
She stomps forward and knocks the gun from his hand. As he reaches for it, she brings her foot down and crushes his hand. He let out a shriek of pain as you grab the gun from the floor.  
"It's over," Hayate declares as she looks at the gun in your hand. "Good job, Rick."  
You grab her arm and drag her away from him, as you hear Michael continue screaming in agony.  
"What the hell are you doing?!"  
Those are his final words before he collapses onto the floor, exhausted. The illusion of the gymnasium arena dissipates as the real environment begins to fade in: a dimly lit warehouse, with exposed bricks and old rusted tools. The group of hypnotized students wearing the head-bags gather around a large wooden table, free from Michael Rosen's control.  
"That's the problem with today's education system," one says.  
You sigh in relief that the conflict is finally over, when suddenly you hear a familiar voice from behind you.  
"Rick...?" the voice called out.  
You turn around to see two students, both wearing head-bags. They both take off their bags to reveal Ronald and Luka underneath!

> You say "Ronald? What are you doing here? And why are you with Luka?!"  
"We were kidnapped by Michael Rosen, just like you," Luka explains. "He was the guardian of the fifth McRelic, the McTender."  
"What happened to you?" Ronald asks, staring at their blood-stained clothing. "Are you two alright?"  
"We're fine," you both reply. "But what's a McTender?"  
"I'll explain later," Luka says, patting down the unconcious Michael Rosen before pulling the McTender out of his pant pocket.  
"Is that it?" you ask, staring down at the McTender.  
"Well it doesn't look like much, but this should be enough to help us get home," Luka replies.  
As soon as she finished talking, a door flies open, and a burly man comes busting into the room.  
"Ah there you are guys!" he smiles contently. "Elmo and I couldn't find you at all!"  
"Who are you?" you ask.  
"The real question is who are YOU," he replies.  
"That's enough, boys," Luka butts in. "Let's get back to the ship."  
You, Luka and the rest leave the warehouse and return to the ship. You find Elmo waiting for you.  
"Elmo's glad to see you guys made it out alright," he nods. "By the way, that was some fancy dancing you did in there."  
You shrug and sit down in a seat.  
"Buckle up everyone," Luka says as she sits down in the pilot's seat. "It'll be a long flight, but we can rest easy now."  
The group nods and gets comfortable for the trip.

> You watch Hayate from a distance.  
Luka takes the ship off into the sky as you sit in the back and watch Hayate. She looks so lonely sitting there all by herself. You wonder if she's ever going to smile again.  
"What's her story, anyway?" you ask.  
"She was a highly decorated hunter, a real beauty," Pepsiman says from beside you.

> You say "Gah! Where'd you come from? And...What are you?"  
"I haven't met her, but I can feel her aura," Pepsiman says. "At the surface she looks like a normal girl, but..."  
He raises his hands and drops them in a gesture you recognize as one to dismiss something irrelevant.  
"Her story is as sad as they come," he says.

> You say "Hayate..."  
Pepsiman looks at you as if he's reading your thoughts.  
"You know, there's more to the brain than meets the eye."  
You don't really follow, but he continues regardless.  
"It's what's on the inside that matters, and I guarantee you don't want to know what's on Hayate's."  
Pepsiman leans forward as he stares at you.  
"Her life has been filled with tragedy and pain. Abandonment, abuse, death. Not a good beginning and not a great ending."  
Pepsiman pauses to let his words sink in. "But I think I've said enough".

> You say "I want to help her, somehow. "  
"Of course," he says. "That's what allies are for."  
He pauses once again to let his words sink in. "Now, I have to go. Good luck."  
The ship falls into silence as your conversation ended. At first, you wanted to help around as much as you can, but unfortunately the previous battle had sucked up all your energy. Your eyelids begin to grow heavy... Luka begins calling out to you, but you can't be bothered to answer. You drift off to sleep...  
In your dreams, you see Hayate. She's grown up a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow comes today.


End file.
